Amaterasu
by Broken Kilter Express
Summary: In this world, she rules with a supernatural iron fist, and Kyon is squarely in her grip. AU fic, edited, and part of The Magnificence of Haruhi Suzumiya Fanverse.
1. Prologue

**AMATERASU**

**.**

Well, I don't exactly know how to describe the situation, but I guess I'll bring you up to speed

My name is… ah it doesn't matter. Everyone still calls me by that same stupid nickname.

My profession is quite unusual. You see… I'm prime minister.

Of Japan? Heavens no, that isn't enough.

A different place, maybe in Europe? Uh-Uh.

The correct guess is the entire world.

Now just how would that happen?

You should know instantly.

She always makes these things happen. I will tell you just how and why soon enough.

.

.

O.K. I'm sorry, but I lied to you a second ago. I'm not the prime minister, that's Koizumi's post.

For me its much worse. I am what is known as the Holy Consort. What is that you ask?

Ever see the Queen of England with that rusty old man? He's Greek, I think. Is it Alexander or something? I don't know, I only met him several weeks ago at an event we threw. Now you're probably thinking, what an amazing opportunity for me to meet royalty. Well let me just say, that everyone thought the other way around. Yeah, they wanted to meet me.

What would compel anyone to be interested in me?

Well to state what might be obvious by now, my title…

.

I am Kyon, Holy Consort to Her Eminence, the Living Goddess and Brigade Chief Suzumiya Haruhi.

I can hear the laughs now.

.

I tried to at least get her to let me use my normal name, but she insisted on that nickname. Why? "The people will be far more familiar with a single word name. It makes you seem far more… unique, as Ambassador Nagato would put it.

So here I am in the throne room. Seriously, talk about a freaking bourgeois joint. You might remember in the third Hellsing manga, what Pip's reaction was to the hotel? That's mine, every time I walk in. The difference now is that I know to keep my mouth shut so its not as if I gawk like an idiot.

10 stories. Very tall stories, rising up to the ceiling and covering the walls are textiles of the finest Egyptian cotton, Cashmere, premium silk, fine linen. It's a U.N. of the finest fabrics this entire planet can offer.

Vast windows, looking out upon a gigantic estate, possibly the largest in Europe. No, we don't just stay in the one, there's a chateau in France, a true castle in Ireland, a traditional Japanese estate in Kyushu, an entire building in New York city, a palace in Russia, Villa in Italy, hell, even a cartel compound in Cuba, my personal favorite.

We're at the Russian palace. It's an unusually hot summer (Thank you, Haruhi!), and I can't seem to not feel uncomfortable.

Maybe its my suit. Predictable Italian, doubly sewn to last, 400 thread count I think. Stuffy.

"The finest in all the land, and you're still bothered Kyon-kun?"

I turn a brow to Koizumi, Supreme Minister of the United Earth Republic, at least as we call it for now.

Note that word 'Supreme' in his title...

"You know sometimes I realize I can't stand this life. What do you think ever drove her to such a need for everything like this?"

"Maybe in realizing that she can do anything, she decided on the good life to pace herself."

I wonder, is that so? She has everyone worshiping her like the second coming of a savior, predicted again and again, only you wish they'd just go back and not cause an apocalypse. Seriously, Haruhi.

"Ah Kyon, you either aren't learning, or you're denying the truth. She wanted a life you could enjoy too. As much as this life seems strange, it could have been worse I'm sure."

Like when Haruhi decided she had to create some miracles to convince everyone she was the real deal?...Oh god.

First blacking the sun for six days, then putting a message that read 'LIGHT' in Kanji on it? Or the one day when no one died? What fun, zombies everywhere! The day she created vampires, elves, giants, and dragons was just hilarious. Talk about a magical circus, I'm still cracking up, since she got bitten, and then bit me. She was able to stop it quickly, but I chased Asahina all around the grounds, only to lose the urge when I just put my lips on her. O.K., that other urge worked too, but Haruhi made it physically impossible for me to do such lascivious actions on any other woman but her. How she set it? If I think of any other woman, it simply shrinks. Of course, if its Haruhi, it expands, cartoonishly.

But enough about hell.

You can hopefully tell I'm actually exaggerating. Though you could say its the kind of things she would do of course. So disregard the entire last rant. Heh, sure, she isn't like that, but...

"She wants absolute loyalty to the title of chief and fidelity to her personally. You understand?"

And that means the life I live, here in this world, it is all hers. Business as usual.

.

3-16-10 Update: The old authors note was taken out of this, cause I felt it reflected a naive outlook I had 8 months ago in my rush to get this done fast. I'm satisfied that with a rewrite it is better than it was.

My Disclaimer: Sorry It's here. I'd rather let you get into a story before bugging you with the same bit each time. I own nothing here.


	2. Chp 1 She Lives In Shimmers

**AMATERASU **Chp. 1 : She Lives In Shimmers.

.

You know that expectant feeling you get just waiting? The sheer anticipation of standing at attention waiting for the most important person in the world to come knock you off your feet and stick a stiletto in your eye? It's hitting me now, just waiting for the magical girl of the hour.

Here, the palace is for the most part empty, save for the few critical servants needed to run it, and the most important group on this world, the SOS brigade. Why would a girl capable of having anything she wants instantly be willing to wait for a chef to make her meal or for a dress to be fit? The same reason some people prefer the use of a live band over a DJ or interfacing with an actual salesperson instead of a machine: it's the human touch.

Maybe discovering that she could indeed change the world with a thought opened within her that realist, that pragmatic being, the kind of thing the philosophers wanted to search for and discover that made the human a hero.

Of course, that also meant she became more indirect, more subtle, more mature. Simply put, normal.

You'll see.

.

Itsuki Koizumi, the fabulous brown-noser that he is, tapped his feet while he stood there within his hilariously luxurious tuxedo. As the Supreme Minister, he is above all other chief's of state save the Living Goddess herself.

That smile of his truly bothers me, because it's one of those cheshire cat ones that could be there in a much worse situation. I gotta distract myself. I bring myself about to Miss Mikuru Asahina, our always charming, time traveling SOS beauty was in a white Chanel getup, black pumps and sporting her voluptuous figure.

Heh, I remember something. Talk about getting the wrong end of the bargain. Pfft, I'm only joking.

Yuki Nagato, the Ambassador of the Integrated Data Entity stood poised, alert but not agitated. At least she is not wearing what she always wears, that same school uniform. It seems she has bothered to think about the things she'd wear for once. Robin's Egg Blue was her color though, that blue from our school uniform, especially with a long dress of light frills.

I'm tempted to ask, where'd you get the idea?

"The Integrated Data Entity orders that I attempt to improve my attire. I was commanded to take a dress from the store called Lord and Taylor's."

Ah, a Fifth Avenue place. Good choice.

"I chose the dress, as it met what is believed to be the best design for my particular figure."

Indeed, you do look beautiful tonight.

Koizumi motioned, "I sense that her majesty is to come around."

We all moved about in an attempt to face her as she enters from the fitting rooms. She has made it law that she must have attention or heads will roll. Once again, I lie to your face, but really, she is the sort to punish you for light transgressions.

.

The throne room seemed to darken as she stepped out into the chamber. It astonished me as deep as my bones that such a fair creature could possibly exist. The light from the windows seems to have darkened, as if the very elements sense a moment to impress the sun goddess.

Glowing, brilliantly in both confidence and sheer literal energy, she becomes visible.

She had since reduced her use of the distinctive ribbon, but her hair was tied with a plethora of all kinds of different ribbons in an alternating red-orange-yellow, consolidating her breathtaking locks of earthen hair in a ponytail of such effect that I could not help but hear a throbbing of my heart as I stand. The dress she was wearing, a kind of robe with elements of yukata design, was again an alternating slew of warm hues and tones.

Suzumiya Haruhi, she is Amaterasu incarnate.

She walks toward us as we look upon her visage. I could hear Asahina, mumbling … "Such Beauty.."

And now to cut us back to reality with the lines that could take us to a less serious mood:

"KYON, YOU IDIOT! YOU'RE DRIBBLING YOUR SLOB ON THE FLOOR!"

Wow Haruhi, you know how to make a big man feel like a bad little boy. Or a dog. And your first words here had to be a scream? How appropriate.

Of course, I am indeed drooling on the floor like a dog on a hot day. Wait, it IS kind of a hot day. Somehow either the strange unnatural warmth of Russia in the late summer these days, or the effect of the suit, being stunned by Haruhi's appearance, or the fact I'm famished, has caused me to leave a trail of saliva from my mouth to the marble.

I move to take a tissue from my pocket, wipe my mouth before I lose anymore dignity, and try to bend down to remove the rest from the floor. I walk the tissue to the nearest trash bin and drop it in.

I return to the 4 main members of the SOS brigade. Haruhi was going over the plans, "We are about to head into the city to eat at a classic restaurant, the kind rich oil barons go to."

Sometimes Haruhi, I wonder if you really get what it means to be high class. It isn't just about money you know.

She knows.

.

As we head onto the road into the city, surrounded by all the makings of a motorcade, our goddess Haruhi was chatting up the affable Koizumi. Usually, I heard something to the effect of a dictation of a speech, and an attempt to be some sort of wise person. So dumb, so funny.

I turned my head to look to my colleagues. Hmm...

I couldn't help but notice, of any little aspect here that looked to be a problem, Asahina seemed slightly bothered by something, a rare instance to be wary of. I figure that she could be warned ahead of time of an issue and act accordingly to it. What is she thinking about?

I read her lips closely. She was mouthing something that grew louder and louder...

"...time...time is coming...its coming up..."

...?

"...I see...so that is what..."

...And then she spoke up to herself aloud.

"So that's what will happen."

Haruhi and Koizumi stopped right there, noticing the audible words, and turned to Asahina. Haruhi begged to question her, "What will, Mikuru-chan?"

"Oh! uh, nothing, nothing..." She squirmed out with a tone of hesitation. I have to wonder…

.

As we traveled through the city, we made it past the Hermitage. Koizumi looked upon the magnificent creation for a moment, and turned his head toward it to watch as it came fully into view. He took a second to note, deciding to speak aloud his knowledge of history, "To be in such a place of history, it just brings to you this sense of meaninglessness, and yet, joy that these things could be seen in our lifetime. Does it do that to you?"

I could say that it does, but I thought the fact that someone else can call all the shots and took your joy was what induced that meaninglessness. Well, maybe my joy, but what is the point of complaining when I get the benefits and joy? I have to stop that, it doesn't suit me. In reality I didn't respond to him, only nodding and looking over the building myself. I don't entirely get the idea of fancy architecture, but maybe I can see what he meant. More like being ant ant beside a tree, you yourself won't get it, but maybe some unusual ant knows the scope of things better than you.

.

We came to our location, and entered. There were men and women in black everywhere, and the interior was trendy, not what I expected. Are we at the wrong place? This restaurant had a DJ who was blaring a tune, some foreign bit I could not understand. I get the feeling we're at a place that's really inappropriate to what we were wearing. Luckily it seemed no one cared to bother us.

We were seated and Koizumi signaled to a guard to watch what happens in the kitchens.

As I saw one of our staff members come back to shake his head at Koizumi, it hit me, that he could be trying to prevent Haruhi or anyone else from being poisoned. She could easily have willed away violence and death, but maybe she felt it would take out the intrigue.

She wanted someone to take a shot at her sometime. That wouldn't surprise me.

Well, maybe, or she just doesn't care. I don't get her logic sometimes.

.

As I waited for my meal, I noticed there was something odd across the table. The music blared and I could hear nothing, but it seemed worthy of notice.

Asahina spoke into Itsuki's ear, and he made a face of contemplation, then smiled and told her something close to her ear. Why tell Itsuki and not me? This could be important.

I asked Nagato to take note and tell me if anything was wrong. She nodded and sat quietly.

We went through our meal, traditional fare. The first course was the same for all, a cabbage soup. After that, I consumed something called Kotlety. After our meals were finished, we cleaned up and left to go to the Bolshoi Drama Theatre. We were to see an opera, whose name I could not remember, but knew it was about a man who drove the polish army out.

A balcony was to be ready for us, and I was next to Haruhi. "It's called 'A life for the Tsar', and it tells the story of when Ivan Susanin sacrificed himself to protect Tsar Romanov." She spoke to me, attempting to educate me on a subject I bet she knows almost nothing of.

.

She greeted and met with various heads of state, businessmen, and spiritual leaders. Some took a shine to her, while others looked as if they had seen a massacre.

Of course you might look like that too if it was Haruhi Suzumiya.

We left for the balcony, and I took a seat next to Haruhi, who was at one end, with Yuki next, Koizumi, and Asahina filling us out.

The thing progressed on and on, and I could not help but nearly fall asleep. Haruhi took a jab at me and I sat up. Always no fun, never a break. Heh, I know, I am a whiner.

Here was a turning point. I could hear a squeak and turned my head to see Miss Asahina. She was bothered in that same way as before. If I read her lips closely, they rhythmically chanted.

.

"…Its Time."

What?

_._

_*Klank, *Shuffle_

I hear a knock behind me and I see them:

.

Three darkly dressed men, with MP-5 sub-machine rifles above my head.

It was probably the most horrifying moment of my life. They raised their weapons, specifically to my head and …

Koizumi raised his hand in the periphery of my vision. _Tat. Tat. Tat._

And before a fuss was had, they were gone.

Three men were dead, a hole in each of their heads. It was a moment of absolute quiet save for the voices of the operati below on the stage. The high notes rung from someones vibrato.

Koizumi spoke quietly into his cell, "Thanks, Ms. Celes."

When Haruhi turned her head, she screamed.

.

After that, Haruhi was furious. Someone dared try to assassinate her? Could it have been the U.S. or the Chinese? Maybe the many religious factions upset with her? She's made many enemies in a single short lifetime. And how did they get past the measures of security? Hmm...

As I sit here on the stone steps, I see agents talking back and forth, clambering over who was at fault. Was it the gate security? Was it the hallway guards? Was it the prime minister himself?

In my opinion, it had to be no one but the attempting perpetrators themselves. People like guards get duped, and if they got duped, it wasn't truly their fault for being hired as much as it was our fault for bringing them in and not preparing them.

.

It was after that when we withdrew to the limo and rode to the palace.

Haruhi stared at me with an expression that seemed to fault me for not protecting her better, as if I was the one who could have been expected to stop them from coming up to our balcony in the first place. Maybe I could have helped but I do stand by the decision that we had done no wrong, any of us.

Asahina however was relieved and Koizumi bright and cheerful. I asked him if he had known the whole time. "It was Asahina-san who warned me of the time, but I had already known of the operation as happening tonight." So you weren't certain until she said anything when it would happen? His reaction afterward was a positive shrug, suggesting to me that he was a fool, willing to take a gamble just to entertain of all people, the one he was supposed to protect. Maybe I could blame him.

.

Every member of the SOS brigade parted in all directions to their respective places for the night, and I was left with the girl of the hour, the woman of the world, Haruhi. I could sense a tingling sensation of anger coming toward me. She was ready now to admonish me in private.

She stood before me, or rather I stood before her, as she began, "Kyon, what were you doing looking back and not saying anything?" Asking a question that did not matter? I spoke back to her...

"I was shocked enough to be speechless. If I had done anything wrong, that may have cost us. I did not want to do anything rash-"

"I could have died not knowing what hit me! If I at least knew, then we would have had more of a chance to stop it."

She does not seem to realize that this was to a degree staged. They were real, but they were also caught in an entrapment from Koizumi. You know what? It's all him. If he knew of the whole thing in advance, then this was all his fault. But then I would have to blame Asahina, at least, for not telling anyone else.

Though I do have to consider, maybe she expected that Koizumi would prevent any bloodshed...

In that case, I don't blame you Koizumi for doing your job, I blame you for being cocky.

Haruhi continued to speak.

"And it isn't like we could just be saved right there. If they had taken me down, I would not have the ability to stop anything from happening.

_You have the potential to change the world, and still you leave death alone. _My thoughts. Sometimes I don't get the logic of her world.

"But…" her face morphed through sadness, then grew into a cheery phase, "At least you were there." She brought herself to surround me with her arms. "Thank you." She kissed me, squarely on the lips with the lightest touch. "I do appreciate that you wanted to be here, at least if you aren't going to be later."

She let go and I watched as she left to change out of her dress.

I can only say that even in this late date, I don't understand her, even now, and a day may come that's a long ways off where I do finally get it, but it is here that I see right now, just exactly why a part of me loves her.

.

Update: March, 18, 2010: I changed this one a heavy amount from the last time.

I had wanted for a long time to write a story linking Haruhi to the idea of the sun goddess, as I felt it was most appropriate. I may try to link Kyon and the others to different myths. Kyon is the most challenging, as he is no Dionysis, so I may turn to folklore for a better idea. Reviews are appreciated, and story alerts and favorites as well.


	3. Chp 2 A Slice of Supernatural Life

**AMATERASU **Chp 2. A Slice of Supernatural Life

**.**

_It was shady, and I was happy._

_I was next to a great tree, a cork tree. Around It and I were many flowers of all sorts. The only sense of motivation I could detect from inside was to lay down and sniff them._

_Some were purple and reserved, a few were green and liberated, one or two were orange and timid. A pair were in the side and they were very stupid._

_And I saw them._

_One was giant and refused to be one color, shimmering across the spectrum._

_The other was gray, lifeless, calm, glass._

_The shimmering one exploded to reveal a girl. She drug me by my horns, into a cart, and I was taken to a stadium. I was forced into the center and there she was._

_I saw the girl waving a blanket at me, and I started to realize._

_I'm a bull._

_She kept waving the blanket at me, I noticed that it was changing color as the flower did. She seemed to want to goad me to come at her. I could see the blanket as not a mere blanket, but a portal, to a world that was incredible, with excitement, violence and intensity._

_She wanted me to go in._

_I didn't want it. I could feel myself drawn to the cork tree, to the flowers, the shade._

_That gray, lifeless, calm, crystal flower was there._

_It was waiting for me._

_I turned back to leave, but discovered that the girl was pulling on my tail. She refused to let go, no matter what. I turned and saw into her eyes, a tempest of power rushed onto me._

_She was begging for me._

_I turned my body in all directions, hoping that she would get off me. She unsheathed a skinny blade, her face was wrenching up._

_It was obvious, she would never let me choose, never give me up._

_She would destroy me to make that certain._

_I attempted to charge her, ready to defend myself, and she struck me._

_I bellowed out._

.

My eyes opened to the sight of florescent lights turning on. The woman in the seat in front of me was toying with the settings for a night light while talking with her bratty son. That's when I remembered where I was. That was a strange dream.

I am here now on a red eye flight, international, crossing the Atlantic, carrying me from St. Petersburg to New York City. It has been a day since the assassination attempt. I stayed with Haruhi and we spent the night together. The next day I got ready to go back to NYC. I could have taken a private plane, but one thing to get about me: I'm just not like that. Call me an idiot, I'm fine with a normal plane on a normal trip. Maybe I just want to make my life as normal as I can choose. Haruhi wanted me to stay longer, but I had to go. It's just how I am.

We're about halfway there so I think its time to just go back to sleep. Something feels creamy.

Toothpaste. Toothpaste in my shoe.

O.K. I guess I should not get upset, but still. I knew that woman had a bad kid with her, stupid brat. I would not have had a problem if I had not uncharacteristically started yelling, leaving my foolish butt to the mercy of the air marshals.

As the time passed, I convinced them I was not a threat, showing them that there was indeed toothpaste in my shoe. They left me alone and the stupid boy was scolded. Good, keep that thing on a leash.

Going through JFK, I caught a cab into the island of Manhattan to get me to the university I go to. Since Haruhi made it possible for me to go anywhere I wanted to, I chose one that would put me in the heart of the big apple.

.

Here I am in the middle of a lecture, going over the notes of how A.I. could and could not be possible, according to our professor, who was a well known expert in the field. I had to see this man, because he was responsible for many discoveries in the field.

I made it through instruction, and was able to go to the building we owned, a place in the village, not far from the university. I opened the door to find of all people, Nagato in jeans and a black shirt. At least she dresses normally now.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, though I was certain of the reaction.

"I am fine. I am here to watch over you as Suzumiya instructed."

Hmmph, I guess it was only a dream I wasn't at least able to be away from her for a while. She managed to get my identity revealed at the last university, UCLA, by manifesting herself above my head and plopping herself on my lap. It was a gigantic frenzy, as the press descended on us like vultures to a Zoroastrian funeral, powerless to stop them as they eat at your corpse. I had to hide my identity coming here too, and it seems no one has noticed yet, thankfully.

The human interface in front of me turned her head to the south, and did not move.

What do you sense?

"A target is in the vicinity"

Target? you mean like Haruhi?

"No, it is another."

She stood still. Then, without warning, she ran past me through the door. I followed her closely, hoping to find what the fuss was over. I made it outside, but she was gone. I turned my head to the left.

"Hey Kyon," called out someone to my right side.

I turn to see a face, familiar but long since faded.

"Sasaki?"

"Hey, how come you don't ever talk to me? I gave you my number." She smiled.

Ah, I am indeed sorry. I have been forbidden from making contact with you by Haruhi and Koizumi.

"Pfft! If you're going to let her own you like that, you might as well wear a dog collar."

My left hand grasps a particular object in my pocket that Haruhi gave to me. Start laughing.

"Aren't you an adult that can make your own decisions? I wish I could rescue your sorry ass from the supposed 'Living Goddess', but I'm sure that you are comfortable enough in your misery." she smirked. Don't, I'm fine the way things are. How cruel of you. It's not like I entirely chose this. O.K., maybe I did.

"Why are you here, Sasaki?"

"I am going to a university here in New York. Columbia."

Oh, so you're going to a different place than me. What brought you there?

"A birdie told me you'd be here to study. I thought that you'd be going to an Ivy League school with your smarts and the money that Haruhi makes. She's the breadwinner right?"

Damn, I guess I'm the bread loser then. Woh-Woh, hold on a sec… "Who told you I'm going here?"

"I told you, a birdie." She showed her teeth, mouthing her words slowly. She made way toward my face and kissed my cheek. "I'll be seeing you." And she turned around and left me.

Something weird is going down.

.

I head back up to the room and I look into the refrigerator. Everything is old. At least a week expired for the milk, two for the eggs. I decided to dial for pizza and pick up the cell from my pocket.

It rings in my hand.

"Hello?"

"Kyon-kun, I wish to speak to you."

Koizumi, what reason is there to bother me?

"You took the first flight out of Russia you could, and Suzumiya-san was upset when she didn't see you there."

I go to a university in America, she needed me in Russia for the day, and I returned to go back.

"She would have been happy if she could have woken up next to you again. She told me she would have manifested if not for you asking her not to."

At least she's considerate when she wants to be.

"I already caught the flight here and I'm at the Airport hailing a cab. I will see you soon."

He hangs up and I am left alone. Time to order that pizza.

.

A few hours pass, and I, passed out on the couch, receive the tone of the doorbell. I walk to it and open to reveal a smile. "Hello, Kyon-kun."

Koizumi, Asahina and Nagato, three little ducks in a row. Three magical ducks, who had powers I could never comprehend. Why are you all here?

"Sasaki." Yuki quipped out, "We forbade contact with her for a reason."

Hey, she came to me. I did nothing to initiate contact.

"We know. I was informed through my agents that she and her entourage of rebels have come to make contact with you. We don't blame you for it."

Koizumi, you Liar, no smile's gonna hide what you're thinking.

Asahina stepped forward, "Kyon-kun, now that Suzumiya knows fully of her abilities, she can sense that you were in the presence of the other deity. She just wants to know for certain that you will remain with her. She would like that."

Asahina-san, you know very well, I'm not leaving her. I really do love her. I would only want her to give me my due space.

"We do believe you, but we'd like to be certain."

Don't worry, I won't betray her. She wouldn't betray me.

.

The gang took to the other rooms. I washed up,walked onto the balcony and took notice of my own thoughts. It seems that in a world with Haruhi in power, I had given up some of my options for others. I thought of what she had done to make my life so much easier and how she sees me. How come it's me she wants?

I thought about these things as the moon passed. Maybe the weird nightmare I had meant something. Guess tomorrow has the answers. I walked back inside and passed out on the couch, waiting for the usual strange dream.

.

7-31-10: There was a wall of text here about mistakes I fixed, but I felt that it needed to be erased, and instead I'll tell you in 3 sentences.

Fixed restaurant scene. Dream inspired by Ferdinand the Bull. KauraNighthawk used the words Holy Consort and Living Goddess in the Evolution of Haruhi Suzumiya, without me knowing. Go and read it, its a good story. Also added a scene in last chapter on the stone steps of Bolshoi.

There were originally some nods here, but I decided to remove them. However, to say it anyway...

Thank you, I appreciate the support.


	4. Chp 3 Conversations With the Goddess

**AMATERASU** Chp. 3: "Conversations with the Goddess."

**.**

_Passing thoughts crossed her, the kind that strike you like a thunderbolt._

_She laid across her full-size bed thinking of many things that havecome and gone with times march. The many small incidents where they would solve a mystery and nothing mystical came of it. _

_Why?_

_Why not a single ghost? A dragon? A gremlin! A spy? Nothing..._

_"I have not seen a single little leprechaun or vampire. Why?"_

_Why is there nothing of meaning in this world?_

_POMF against her pillow was her fist. These were the thoughts that insulted her, demeaned her, ridiculed her every night. She may have shown the world that she was a creature of exotic fantasy, attempting to search for the supernatural and the conspiracies, but they were wrong. _

_She was a realist. A stark blank realist who knew inside tha these things DID EXIST. She did not have any idea why, she just sensed it._

_When she wished it, the feeling grew stronger. If she was upset, she could sense the world coming down. It fed her melancholy, creating a cycle of doubts and troubling emotions._

_If her heart got what it desired, her very soul rose, and the world around her became truly a better place._

_She thought about why everyone seemed to want her to keep hoping for these things, but never could find them. _

_It's like the world is changing to suit her, and doesn't want to at all. "Hmmpf."_

_She turned to the side to look at a picture frame. It held a newspaper clipping. It was the Tanabata Incident. She remembered that night so vividly, regardless of the darkness. She was punished most severely for the crime. A probation, being forced to take up a whole bunch of soap and wash it herself, and a nearly permanent grounding from an over-controlling set of parents. Of course, someone else actually put it there, she was only supervising. If only he could have taken the blame._

_And then she thought of the name of the one thing that gave her hope,_

_that weirdo with what he said was his sister..._

_John Smith. That strange man who came that night._

_John Smith. The one who reached out to her when no one else would._

_John Smith. The reason she persevered for the unknown._

_A budding desire started to coalesce from in her chest. She wanted_

_to find him, and it lead to a fateful moment._

_She asked the world itself aloud._

_"I wish I knew where he was."_

_And it struck her, harder than any other thought._

_Not with a word. An image._

_That boys face, that troublesome one. The fool._

_"Kyon."_

_She had always known that despite his undying disdain for anything she came up with, he still supported it. That moron, that idiot. What does he do to remind her of that man?_

_But this image screamed. "He means more to this..."_

_and she fell from this world to sleep, one goal to accomplish tomorrow._

_She would make Kyon tell her the truth._

_._

My eyes slip away, and I breathe in.

It was funny, I could see clearly. And what I saw amazed me.

I was in a magnificent palace bigger than any other that I had seen. Even the ones Haruhi owned were no match. I step forward. It goes on and on, like a temple built for the study of greater things. Ionic columns everywhere. I could imagine there were as many here as there were in Greece. I look down a hall where I hear a noise to the left.

I come to a foyer, a great hall. Its ceiling rises so high as to house a Michelangelo's David or some adventurous avant-garde monstrosity.

I walk toward it, and sense a presence.

"You! Traitor! Why did you do what you did yesterday?"

What in god's name are you talking about?

"Don't you lie to me! I heard about that hussy coming on to you and planting one on you!"

It was a platonic kiss on the cheek, not some passionate affair like some (YOU) would think.

If you could not tell who it was, it was our resident goddess, Haruhi Suzumiya, dressed in some thing that looks a good deal like a toga. her scowl was boring into my core like an Abh smile.

"And another thing, why do you look like that?"

What in gods name are you talking about...again?

I turn to an all-too-conveniently placed fountain and look down.

Hooves? Great, how irritating.

I'm a bull again. what the hell is this?

I turned to Haruhi and asked, "well my goddess, could you fix this?"

A smirk, "Ha! Why should I? You treacherous pig, you dog."

Hey, I'm a bull! If you want a horn in your bottom, keep talking!

Epiphany, and mild bewilderment strikes me to ask, "hey where are we?"

"Can't you tell?"

It seems she expects me to know something that I normally wouldn't.

As I turn my head, Its obvious as I look closer at this exquisite estate, that

it really is not. "Let me guess...Closed Space?"

"I felt like going into one and forming my own great house of worship, but I thought it would be great to prototype it first. What do you think?"

It would be impressive to imagine this place, being like Rome, is something you could never build in a day, but I'm not stupid enough to think you could not. I don't know architecture, but I think you did just OK. I don't think my opinion matters when it comes to this.

"Idiot! This place is a magnificent work of art! I wanted to show you first. I would have figured you could at least appreciate the thought that went into this."

What about the human touch? You said before that you'd much prefer to not show off your power...wait, you know, that definitely is out of character for you.

"Hey, I'm a goddess, I have to save the showboating for the time I'm flexing my spirit power in front of the masses." That's so not like you. Even YHWH shows off.

"Hmph." She stepped away from me. "Be ready to awaken."

Huh?

The entire scene turned white as a wave of light came across my eyes.

.

My eyes opened. I'm back in the apartment. The sky is turning a light blue in the window. I hear only the sounds of an AC and fan running next door, no shuffling or anything. I lift my head from the pillow.

Well, she's not here, the witch.

FWACK! What the hell? OW!

"You do remember that I can read your mind when I'm close to you right?"

She floated above me, her fist tight and an expression between rage and amusement. Why, who would give these powers to someone like this?

.

She ordered me to make her a meal. I ran to a local market and returned with eggs, butter, bread, and milk to go with the cinnamon and maple syrup I had in stock. When I got back, the others were awake and gathered at the table. Asahina was fiddling with the teapot and turned to smile at me, Koizumi put his creepily positive gaze against mine, the weirdo. And Nagato was Nagato, her subtlety masking her inner moods of joy at my appearance. It's nice to have our peaceful times. Until...

"You're late! Penalty!" You just demanded I get you a bite to eat. Don't mess with the chef.

.

4 and 2 make French toast for 5.

"Bah! Can't you be more creative?" I'm not Gordon Ramsey. Be gracious!

"Hmm." She starts chewing, munching, and finally succumbing to her hunger. With a glass of milk on stand-by, she took in an entire plate, alternating from little nibbles to whole pieces at once.

I sat there with my plate, slowly eating. As I did, I could not help but notice the one particular thing I think I truly loved about her: her hair, in that astonishingly long ponytail. If her body was a sculpture and her face was a painting, her hair must be...

Fine black silk, dark as night.

"HMF?"

Apparently I said it aloud so everyone could notice. "Its nothing."

I saw in the periphery Asahina had her face turned away with a hand to cover her amusement, and Koizumi basked in his own soft smirk. Nagato was curious, in that same way that she could be confounded by the simplest things.

It's interesting to note that she is not wearing that toga like in the closed space,

but a beige short sleeve shirt and black pants with the length to her mid shin. "You changed?"

"Yes." She quacked from the side of her mouth.

She narrowed her eyes, then returned to her meal, maple covering her cheeks.

As the last piece of food disappeared, she pushed her plate back and turned.

"Huh. You're not bad at this." Well its not hard.

"Well, now that I've had my nourishment, I must ask about the business you had with the tramp." Her name is Sasaki, and she's never been bad to you or into me.

"You do know I could destroy her."

She has the same power as you. She's immune to anything you can do for that reason. Plus she does not want to rule the planet, unlike you, Miss Suzumiya, the glorious goddess or living goddess or what ever your title is now. You deserve to have that power taken away from you, Miss Irresponsible

"Hey, I've been very responsible. I saved millions. I got all the nations together and stopped the famines and the violence between all of them."

And in return, there are a billion people who want to take a knife and slit your throat. You traded away the peace we could have had as just some kids in Japan. Instead, you made this massive house of cards we have to live in. You have your power, but if it were togo away one day, you may find yourself in a sudden crushing situation.

"That's why I haven't gone and done anything ridiculous."

The spinning sun trip? A hot Russia? The 6000 executions? The zombies and magical creatures? The fact you run the place? Haha, I love playing with you. But really, nothing makes sense with you, you crazy woman you.

"Oh yeah. But those things were all fair since I could change them back."

Now you get it, you think you get it. Do you?

.

She decided to drag us around the city of New York. We were moving with a hidden identity, but

people were noticing us as we moved along the length of Madison Ave. Haruhi wanted to shop, and was using Asahina as a dressing doll, while I ended up with a massive number of bags. Koizumi loitered off to the side with Nagato, trying to discuss various things about architechure.

Everything she purchased was hand-made, the finest that could ever be created without some mystical sense or a robot. Being around this stuff made it clear: You can teach me about all sorts of high class things, it won't make me high class, though I don't think I'm low class.

Macy's was then our next target. Not just an average Macy's but the most famous of them all, the one on 34th street. If we waited till the holiday season, the floats would be here with the snow and ice behind it, really crowded by tourists.

She continued to shop until we had enough to leave me a few straws short of a broken camel.

Why do you push me so hard?

"Hey you owe me, you left a day early and that bimbo came on to you."

First of all, I wanted to catch that lecture. He might die soon. It was important and I had a ticket to go back, I wasn't gonna waste it.

"You could afford to take another plane, and I could have just manifested you back."

But you would not let me go. Don't be so clingy. And Sasaki doesn't see me that way, so stop saying shes a bimbo!

"Uhh!..." and she stomped off.

With the loads of goods in (MY) tow, we walked to a vendor on the street. Now some may think that its a bad idea to buy anything from a fat Italian guy with a dirty cart, but an informed person will know that you're more likely to find a Cuban, Egyptian or a Bangladeshi guy these days and the law is extremely tough on them to keep clean. Ours was selling kebab and hot dogs. Haruhi, Mikuru and Itsuki took a kebab, Yuki and I took a hot dog.

.

We made it back to the apartment by the late afternoon after riding the sub. Asahina does not belong in a place where grabbing hands will grab all they can. Where's a cop?

As we came back, I walked in and I put the stuff down on the couch. Fortunately, the room was clean enough to put everything down. Thank god I don't get a lot of stuff these days. Just some old figures and a bookcase of a few movies, shows and games, a couple dozen CD's and a single vinyl.

Haruhi pushed my stereo button and she put on a song of her's on. We don't listen to the same music, and we don't expect to agree. Sometimes though, we do agree.

She then decides to connect an MP3 player to the machine and picks a ridiculous song, that one where the guy sings over the same instrumental line over and over. Its the part where the cop's running home.

Haruhi sat on a seat near mine in the living room. She seemed pensive. Not like her.

She turned to me.

"Kyon, I wondered about something. If we had been born into different lives and I had the same power, would it have been right of me to maybe make our lives like they are now?"

That's a very deep question. I think I would be fine.

Koizumi chimed in, "I think shes wondering if it would be at expense to the future and to our other possible selves."

I'm sure it would be fine. As for all our incarnations in the E8 or the vanishment, god bless them all.

"You intended that pun didn't you?" pumps an annoyed Haruhi.

OH. YEAH.

And the radio blares!

"Now pause the movie cos what I'm about to say to ya'll is so damn twisted,  
Not only is there a man in his cabinet, but the man... is a MIDGET!"

Pffft, HA HA HA! Everyone yelled (Except Nagato) in uproarous laughter. Even our most held together esper was holding his side. That line took him by surprise.

"Oh...Pfffftt, HA! Ahhhmmm." He let his head down, barely able to contain himself.

Yuki stared at us in that same manner that she always had going. She probably got it, but yet no.

Somethings never change.

.

Haruhi bugged Mikuru about trying on a gown she had bought for herself. Yuki was in front of a powerbook, trying to chat with someone on the web. She seems to have grown into a more open girl,

but she was still the same acquiescent, ambient little woman I always trusted. As I walked out the door to the balcony, I saw her stare at me, then return to the screen. Hmm?

I looked at the street 50 feet below. The street was busy, with small number of people making their way as twilight crept on the city.

A small Klack radiated from behind.

"Kyon." A smile greeted me. Koizumi, you try too hard.

"Hah, indeed I do."

Doesn't your security team know where you are?

"Oh, they always know where I am, and another one follows you right?"

Yeah, its good no one noticed. Even I didn't.

"Over the past few years, you've grown accustomed to your place at Suzumiya's side. I once thought that you would forever hold up a cold front, but you warmed up. Not as brightly as she has but, enough to where you're probably a new man."

Well, it's not like I'd change for just anybody but...

"I get that."

I almost remembered...the weird dream? Should I tell him? Ah, maybe another time.

We settled into a moment of silence, and business talk started.

Hmm. I wanted to ask, what have you learned about the other factions taking power?

"My Esper defense team tracked where the break in power came from, and we believe that Sasaki was ordered by her superiors to cut some more of Haruhi's strength away."

It figures that Sasaki would only do such things if someone else said to. She does seem to enjoy teasing me now. She knows how Haruhi is, less of an Amaterasu and more of a Hera. Instead of sitting in a cave, she'd definitely curse the hell out of, or just kill, everyone who touches me.

So, she'll still able to manifest of course like she did today?

"Yes. She is still able to use a great deal of power in a short span. We have found a problem: for one, we estimate that 40 percent of the force she carried disappeared and found that Sasaki only adds to about 30 percent. Someone out there is floating around with a good fraction of a god's power."

But shouldn't such power be infinite?

"You'd think that, but it seems to be less of an energy issue and more of an ability issue. Haruhi can still

do many things. She can track at short distances, read minds if she touches someone, and manifest as long as she knows where to go. Just as well you saw she has complete control over any closed space she forms. Of a few things she can't do anymore, she can't use precognition on large spaces or time tracks, she can't jump in time, and she can't revive people."

Hmm. So, for all intents and purposes, she really is not entirely a god anymore.

"Not quite. She still has an almost infinite effect on very short distances. This basically says she's neither omniscient nor omnipotent like before. She can't bend the world like she did a year ago. That sun event only happened once. When she told me she'd try again about a month ago, it did not happen. She also did not sense when Sasaki was with you, we told her."

Maybe things like that bugging her now are why she's been so particularly odd to me lately, like she has something to prove. A lot of information but I get it.

"Its good you've finally learned to understand my words when I talk. You used to glaze over almost every time. We can discuss the finer details another time."

Maybe its something Haruhi did. Something is bugging me. Koizumi...

When did you exactly plan on finally telling me that Haruhi was almost powerless?

The esper made his trademark smile. "When I was certain it was time." The sides of his cheeks darkened and in that second, a message sprang out, like a white bat out of a frozen hell.

Something weird is going down.

I turned my head to look into the window. Haruhi was agitated, bothering Mikuru. No changes ever.

The stereo was still on. It was out of my collection.

She was not paying attention as I stared.

She turned in my direction for a moment and I looked away.

.

Koizumi and Asahina were off to the side conversing, while I was trying to stop Haruhi from playing a ridiculous album of hers. Why you like it so much I don't get it. I stopped trying and walked off to the side to do something else.

Haruhi thought it would be funny to try to levitate Nagato's chair while she was in it. It was all fun and games until it bumped the ceiling.

"Ow." was the entity's response as a knock emanated from her skull.

Haruhi, could you tone it down?

"Why, is Mr. Wet Blanket afraid of some fun?" and a dartboard flew at my head, darts included.

You brat! That thing could kill me!

I had to act!

And before she knew it, my hands wrapped around her torso, her arms caught in my embrace, my legs tangling up in hers. We tipped onto the carpet and a wrestling match started. The longer it lasted, the more embarrassed and flustered she became as the other three looked on. If we were little kids, it would be good clean fun, but this was a pair of grown adults, with people watching. If only no one was there.

Haruhi managed to get a leg free and kick me in the ass. As my grip loosened, another leg was loose and she started kicking like no tomorrow. I let go and she let one fist loose on my face. I caught it in time, only to be humiliated when she got a picture frame to fly and smack the back of my head.

I was down, and Haruhi won another match. She proudly marched around the room. "HA. I am queen of the ring! Bow before me!" Whatever.

I laid on the floor for a moment and got up. One day Haruhi, victory will not be yours. Probably won't be mine anyway.

I took my bruised sorry ass to the kitchen and checked to see if there was a single works pizza slice left. Thankfully, it was still there. It disappeared and was washed down with a glass of a half drunk bottle of something I didn't right there recognize. As I finished up, I sat myself down and watched Haruhi in her hyper state, I started to nod off, the throbbing of my head a strange hypnotizer.

"Kerrang! Pum! Bur, bur, bur-bur-bur, bur-bur-bur-bur-bur-"

My cell phone ring tone. I check to see who it was.

The number reads...Hmm?

Imouto? Sister?

I open, "Hello?"

I hear a faint cry. This is not the sound I expected.

"Kyon...mmmffff" A sniffle. What was this?

What's wrong?

"I...I..got something to tell you..."

And words I did not expect to hear, or ever want to, entered my mind.

.

I was catatonic. It seemed that I was making a show despite not moving. Haruhi noticed my expression first and her face changed.

"What's wrong? Kyon?"

It's nothing.

"No wait, tell us"

I can't tell you. My mouth to the phone, "Wait for me, sis!"

"Huh? Kyon. What is it."

I told them what had happened. Haruhi's mood completely switched. Everyone heard what I said.

I'm going. Now.

"Hey hold on-" "Kyon!"

I ran out to the street and called a taxi. It took a moment and one rushed to me. I got inside and pulled out my wallet. Get me to JFK!

My head was rushing as we were, moving street to street, across the Brooklyn Bridge. As we made it all the way over, I pulled out my cell.

I called the hotline for a plane to go and get me home as fast as I could. They had a plane being checked out. My seat would be ready for me as soon as I got there.

I could not trust Haruhi with a situation like this. She'd probably do something irresponsible.

Someone had to be there for my sister.

Who else would be there with my parents dead?

.

.

In this chapter there was a gigantic set of authors notes that I felt just couldn't be here. Heres what they said in a few sentences.

A list of rules I set for myself. I think I might stick them on my profile.

Removed line that JB criticized.

Some stuff about music. I cut most of that out cause I felt it was unnatural.

I'm leaving these so people get somethings.

Refs:

-"YHWH" is Yahweh from hebrew, which turns to Jehovah in latin and means god.

-"Abh smile" refers to in Crest of the Stars when Lafiel freaked Baron Atosryua with a smile/glare that Abh are known to have and are feared for.

EDIT: Removed lyrics to follow guidelines.


	5. Chp 4 A Fire Starts to Burn and Fades

**AMATERASU **Chp. 4: A Fire starts to Burn and Fades

_._

_She gathered her team together. The first part of her plan was initiated._

_The clubroom is full of people. Not just your usual individuals, the venerable SOS brigade, but its irregulars, Kyon's sister, the outgoing Tsuruya and the dynamic tweedle dee and tweedle dum pair, Taniguchi and Kunikida. Those two idiots. We didn't need them, she thought. Just for filler._

_Her eyes travelled to the one person she intended this entire operation for: that imbecile that loved to wisecrack. He was looking away._

_She though of what she'd say, "I am forming a full size search of an area struck by UFO's. At 1800 hours, we will be split into 4 groups-"_

_"Why are we even here?" Taniguchi, you stupid pig. She knew she would need to use every resource available. She would make this plan work._

_"I need grunts, and Kyon is not a good enough one for this alone." She heard a loud sigh from the back. He'll get it later when I talk to him._

_"Pay attention!" She threw a penny directly for his forehead. He woke up from his tired daze immediately. Good._

_"Now then, we draw toothpicks!" and 8 of them were in her hand. Two with red lines, two with black, two with blue, and two bare._

_All of them were at the ready to pull one out. She managed to get them in a circle. Kyon was across from her. She was banking on the hope that if she knew which place he took, she could get the same one as him._

_She moved her hand with the toothpicks out to the center. Everyone but Kyon's sister, who would go to the group of her choice, had to do this._

_All hands out, ready, and..._

_Go._

_Before she even felt it, every toothpick was gone. She went to check hers._

_Hers was red. Good._

_She looked and saw it._

_She was stunned._

_Kyon's was black._

_A sudden feeling of dread struck her, "...how can this be?" She mumbled._

_She couldn't let this happen._

_She then thought of something. _

_She could change this._

_She wished._

_Suddenly, it occurred. They all looked at each other._

_Everyones toothpicks changed color before their eyes._

_She saw the stunned faces of Kyon and Itsuki, Mikuru was frightened and even Yuki was startled._

_As she looked around..._

_Taniguchi and Kunidika shared the color black_

_Tsuruya and Yuki were bare._

_Koizumi and Mikuru were blue._

_She and Kyon were red._

_A voice deep inside screamed in both joy and fright. YES!_

_She straightened herself out._

_"Ahem. And now to business..."_

.

I'm feeling really down.

My heart starts to palpitate if I think about the situation, and I've been on the verge of tears for over an hour. Life, it seems, has struck out on its contacts and rescinded the deal. To lose someone is a feeling of extreme horror that rather than surprise you, it screams constantly. To lose both a mother and a father, I think it creates a deeper sorrow than any adjective or funny phrase can say.

Like an abyss. It runs deeper than you want to see.

Again, I wallow in sorrow on a plane traveling 1000 kmh and crossing the pacific this time. We're over california. This flight was completely fueled up and heading to Kansai. There, my sister is staying with a relative now. She was mature enough to handle the situation, but I was the one who had to deal with the grim business ahead.

How do you choose a plot, plan such events? This is not a festivity! It feels like i'm trying to lift that stupid boulder of life again.

You know, like Sisyphus, or even Atlas. They deserve all the more respect. Give them love.

.

I was going to be waiting in the airport lobby for an hour. I wanted to take a break for a moment.

On second thought, my sister needs me. I can't be my usual self now.

I got up to walk through the terminal area to the direction of the main entrance.

Bum-bum! Bubumbum!

Its the ringtone of the ESPER defense service. They must have had a team sent to escort me and want me to stay. "Hello?"

"Kyon, sir, we need you to wait for rendevous."

"No, I will take a taxi."

"Supreme Minister Koizumi has ordered us to take you."

"You will back down. I don't need it."

"We cannot disregard an order from the Supreme minister."

In my state of misguided irritation made by my situation, I refrain for a second and make a huge mistake.

I yell.

"I'm the Holy Consort, I use my title to order you to BACK DOWN!"

I said that aloud. Ah, shit.

The entire vicinity, though not that busy, was filled with hundreds of people. I just blew my cover.

"Um...hey you still there?"

"Yes, Kyon. What is it?"

"Good. Please come by quick."

I shut my phone, and people start to approach me.

"Are you the Holy Consort Kyon?" asks a middle aged woman in front of me.

I can't deny it. "Yes."

Uproarous sound exploded all around me, and the lady started to back away. She seemed startled by the sound of cheering and even jeering. People started to rush me.

"Goodness, I never thought I would meet you. Please sing my autograph-""You %^&#$, you and that stupid bit-""Excuse me, I have a problem I would like you to solve-" "YOU COULDN'T SAVE MY CHILD!-" "Kyon? Its me, Nakagawa! Let me help you-" "YOU PRI-"

I found an arm pull my collar and drag me. As I turn to look, 3 other men have taken my luggage. The flood/horde/mob/masses/herd/group/stampede/general assortment of humans was following, continuing to rant and scream and a few even conveniently had food to throw.

"Kyon, Kyon! You gotta watch yourself! The common people want you, and some want your head. Please, for the love of the goddess, can't you take care of yourself?"

"I can try." And I'll fail too while I'm at it.

The man I look upon is no other that a Mr. Nakagawa, the same who once held a deep infatuation with Nagato, and is now an agent of the ESPER defense service, dedicated to obeying all the commands of the supreme minister. THIS man, not Koizumi, is my least favorite esper.

Of course, its because he tends to be overenthusiastic about his role in this world, specifically in the defense of both me and Haruhi as well as the executive panel of the organization, now essentially a world government. When you see Haruhi and I walk on this earth freely, its these guys there, at least a hundred feet away, ready to pounce on any threat.

NOW you get why i'm so antsy about moving around. I've GOT to get away from these guys.

"We got the vehicle ahead for you. Just wait a moment."

In the parking lot was a large black van. Though it seemed to be nothing much, I'm sure they have their com setup or weapons in it.

The door opens and an all too pepped up agent throws me in.

"AHH!" thud. "ow."

The van really was a normal van. Nothing inside. So much for my expectations.

Now I said things, but there are plenty of people here. Mori was sitting across from me, and Arakawa was the driver. Nakagawa took the seat to my left and started to talk.

He didn't stop.

"Well Kyon, we at the Japan division have missed you for a long time. 3 months, 3 WHOLE months! You really need to keep in touch with us more! I heard about the assassination attempt at the opera house. That Celes is really the best thing to come out of England in a long time. She's a master sharpshooter! I even heard that she is some kind of vampire! Of course, since Haruhi willed that such things exist, we've seen all sorts of other mysterious things. Did you hear about the black unicorn injuring 3 kids at the equestrian center? How sad, seriously! And the-"

That's when I tuned out on him.

He continued to himself. I look at Mori. Probably my favorite esper.

I notice what appears to be that she had her head shaved. "Why'd you do it?"

"It just seemed to be a good idea. I wondered how the guys felt, walking around. So far so good."

"Aw, you know how I feel about long hair."

She laughed to herself, "It was just a new experience. I'm sorry if you feel bad. I guess that Haruhi's is all you need though right?"

Those words opened an old memory. The day I first saw Haruhi, she had the most fascinating locks of hair I'd seen. Every day after, she changed it anew. I at the time was not thinking about it that much, but now those memories feel like a treasure. The memory of her cutting her hair now is my worst memory of her. The memory of the time in closed space feels like a haunting moment.

It was one of the reasons that made me realize, that I love her.

I then thought of the more pressing matters at hand. The two of them noticed that my expression changed. You could only distract me so long, especially from what's happened.

"I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."

"No, No! We understand! We're going to take you straight to your aunt's now."

Oh, o.k. We need to discuss what has happened.

"You may speak to Tamaru-san soon. He has found out some unusual things."

Such as?

"Well, the circumstances..." She refrained and turned her head away.

Please, tell me.

"Sorry, I actually have an order to say nothing to you. Only Tamaru can."

Hmm?

The idiot next to me started to talk, "It's O.K. Kyon! You'll see! Hey, Arakawa sir, step on it!

I said he was my least favorite esper for a reason.

.

The house of my aunt and uncle was up ahead, where my sister was. I was so glad to see her again.

As I stepped out of the vehicle, two hands wrapped around me and I collapsed to the ground beneath the wait of agirl too big to do the things she does.

"KYON! Where have you been?" On a flight from NYC to Kansai to get to you.

My sister, now 16, the last member of the immediate nuclear family I had, has me in a huge vise grip.

"You had me worried." She seems completely fine.

"You called me last night, I got here. What happened?"

Her emotion on her face changed in a snap. What was her standard cheery self melted away and a somber, damaged face showed. This face was the one of heartbreak.

"Kyon." She started to whimper. She hugged me tighter.

"AHHUHH!" She bawled and her tears came down on my shoulder. I could feel a tear welling up in my eye. I did my best to remain composed. "Kyonnn...ugh, huh huh," *sniff.

Her shift in mood was so sudden as to take me by surprise. How can I blame her? I try to talk her out of her state.

"Its gonna be alright, do not worry, we'll figure out things." To be honest, these words felt like something hollow. Maybe on some plane they were an attempt to make myself feel better.

Her sniffling continued, but it calmed, "th..thank..you, Kyon."

She was finally a little better. This was what brought my spirits back.

.

After talking to my aunt, the one who started the whole "Kyon" phenom by calling me that, we then discussed the basics of what had happened. Apparently, the vehicle my parents were in was crushed by a semi-truck. There was a number of issues. For one the driver was at large. Another was the fact that the vehicle had no registration of its own. It actually had one stolen from a similar vehicle. I was enraged. Who does such a despicable act? Something had to happen to stop this man.

It was these thoughts that kept me up through out the next night. I went to our house and searched through things. I spent the time going over the family files. Provincial birth records, various forms of ID, financial numbers, the deed to the house, everything. It felt a little bit more like I was an adult, trying to manage not just my life but the life of someone else. For years these two had held up our lives over the river of chaos, wading through it while my sister and I were children held in their arms. I got their contributions now. Now I had to help my sister.

What am I gonna do about school? Maybe I could transfer out of NYU and into something here. What is a good place to go? Maybe I could expect my aunt and uncle to help take care of my sister.

Now that I think about it, if I really cared so much, I could be here for her.

I was through the documents completely and about to take a break. I really need it. I wondered for a second about the things Tamaru would tell me tomorrow.

A thunderous noise came from the door.

"Who is it?"

I hear a lot of yelling. That means only one thing.

They all manifested together.

As I open the door, I see an amusing sight: Nagato is sitting on Asahina, Asahina is lying on Koizumi. Haruhi is beneath them all, crushed by their simultaneous weight.

"Geroff!" As everyone rolls off Haruhi, they brush themselves off. Haruhi turns to see me.

Her expression is a bitter one.

"KYON! Why'd you do that? Why did you run so fast?"

"I had to go and deal with a problem I couldn't expect you to deal with."

"No Kyon, you felt you could handle this yourself and decided to be arrogant. You don't respect that other people have concerns for the same things as you!"

"Hey! If theres anyone arrogant here, its you! I can't expect you to understand that this is serious!"

"You think I don't get it? Kyon, don't you get that I also feel bad here? For You? I know this is a real thing to deal with-"

"Really? You actually care? please-"

SMACK

What?

I look with my eyes and her hand had waved.

She slapped me, So suddenly.

"You idiot..." tears welled up beneath her eyes.

She turned her face and back to me, walked down the step and stomped off into the street, running. She continued to putter further. I could sense the darkness around her tightening, warping the light.

She was seething.

"Kyon." to my left is Koizumi, "You did it again."

He and Asahina were next to me. Koizumi had only a fraction of the typical cheshire grin of his as before, and Asahina was curled to his arm, fearful. Nagato was off to the side, sitting silently, as if expecting some event to happen. I turn to face him.

"What are you talking about?"

He laughed quietly to himself.

"You left her alone, right after the incident and again in the apartment. You've been doing that for a while now, just packing up and going whenever you felt like it."

Well, I just wanted to have my life be mine for once.

"But you trade something important for it. And someone else pays for it with no fault of their own."

You mean...Haruhi?

He looked away, "Its things like this that are all thats really left for her. We took the mystery away. She hides that she is really at a loss. What do you do if you find that you are indeed the one that the books talk about, that you alone can make the decisions that shape the lives of others, to the point of their very existence being threatened by whims that you have?"

So shes not mature enough to handle that she is a deity? We've always known that.

"Not quite. Its that for her, life was always better when the adventure was something on the horizon, when she felt the wind of better things move as a breeze, sailing her toward something better. And now...She has almost everything she could possibly want, no matter how ridiculous or exceptional it is. And she wanted a world that revolved around her, and got exactly what she wanted."

He turned back to me.

"She acts out at this point because she believes that any use of her power above a certain point constitutes something unwanted, so she behaves poorly. She has all that she wants, and that means there is nothing new for her anymore. The only thing she can live for is others. Myself, the brigade as a whole, and every individual on this and every world. And that includes..." His finger points.

"You."

He smirked more brightly.

"Of the few reasons for her to stay motivated by anything in this life, you are quite possibly the very center of it. At this point, you are her world. It wouldn't matter, even if her powers left her now, the reason she exists is for you."

I can't be that important.

"Why else would she be as upset as she was? The fact you didn't meet her halfway with trust when you decided to rush to your sisters aid was a sign, and it was stupid of you to just go when Haruhi could have manifested you and gotten there immediately. There was a better way." He stared out, then returned his gaze to me.

You already knew deep inside the answers, you just didnt reflect on them. Don't think that a closed space is the best way to deal with this. I have an agency dedicated to it, but there is a perfect way to fix all the wrongs here. You know..."

I sat down on the porch and contemplated.

So this is what it was about?

I did not respect her for the way she felt about me?

An eternity passed right here in seconds. A strain started on my heart. I could innately tell there was something I needed to do.

I needed to apologize and start over with her.

My feet were heavy from them falling asleep, but I brushed the weighty pain aside and walked slowly. Then as my legs no longer acted against me, I started to move.

I started to run.

.

The path I took seemed like destiny, and I followed it to the end. Visions of what was wrong hit me.

I said the wrong things to her. I really started to feel something that I could not immediately give a word to. Self-pity? Or was it embarrassment? I run faster, driven by my thoughts.

No, I know what it is.

Its shame.

I could see that in the past few months that I really was distancing myself bit by bit from Haruhi, and I did not even notice it at all. She was trying to hide the way she was feeling the entire time, frustrating and gnawing at her. An air of childishness hid the malaise of this relationship. I should have stayed longer, I should have taken her with me.

I should have treated her right.

Eventually a destination was in sight, one I should have expected.

It was the bench in the park.

Haruhi was waiting. In the near darkness save for the mercury lamps, I could still tell that she was glowing, and an iridesence boiled off her, surrounding her in a cloak of technicolor.

It was proof that she was a goddess.

My feet shuffled forward. I was hoping to surprise her.

A sudden intake of air sounds out from her breath and she turns. Her gazes hardens momentarily, then mellows. She recognizes me.

"Oh, so you came after me. I had thought you would come." She stared into my eyes with a glare of smoldering embers.

Could it be that on some level, you reshaped me to want to apologize? Nah, its not possible, not if you couldn't tell that I was there. Or you made it impossible to tell because you wanted a surprise.

As I sat down close to her, she turns away, then brings up related matters.

"I spoke to Itsuki, and he told me about the third subject being out there somewhere. I thought Sasaki was a threat, but I guess I was wrong." She then digressed, "My powers are fading. I really can't sense anything outside of my touch, and its getting worse. I wish I had done more when I had the chance. I can't fix my mistakes either."

So the the house of cards IS coming down.

She ignored me. There she stayed, and was in a blue, somber mood, definitely because there was no comebacks. "I was hoping that we could be together more, that all of us could start to be a team like we were before...and maybe even we could be a proper-"

"Couple?" I cut her off, not meaning to anger her, but to get to a point that had to be made.

She looked at me with a softer glare of anger, then turned away.

"Idiot. Though you did hit it on the head."

We continued to stay there. No words passed between us. Her mood seemed stiff.

"I wish you'd get it."

I was unsure of how to tell her anything in that moment, but my gut told me what to do in the next.

I moved forward and hugged Haruhi, and whispered, "I'm sorry," to her.

She said nothing back, but turned to face me.

I waited, and was surprised, the most suddenly I had ever been.

She kissed me deeply and hugged me close, her figure clocking into mine. My arms fell around her, and I held on as long as I could.

Eternity and seconds later, her lips moved away. She was smiling.

"Thanks, Kyon."

She held my hand close. Her grip tightened, meaning she was reading my thoughts.

Her smile widened. Maybe she figured something out?

"You actually meant what you said?"

Yes.

"Hmmm. You've also learned a little sense of respect. You were always the rebel, but you actually learned to trust me as your leader. Not that I didn't like you being a little stubborn. Otherwise, you'd be just like everyone else around me."

Hah, your immature self is showing again.

She pouted and smirked, "...stupid." and her middle finger entered my nose and pulled me around to the other side of her. Ow! Hey! Watch it!

She stretched, and her normal smile gradually flowed back in, and she closed her eyes and laid her head across my lap.

I could be certain of one thing.

I made things right with her.

We stayed there a little while and eventually we knew it was time to go. Together we walked back to the house. All the gang was there, even my sister.

"Everyone, come on in. Its late."

I let them all in. Its been a long day.

.

Haruhi decided to help me with the documents herself. She was back to her usual self in no time, bossing us around.

The entire team got back into rhythym quickly. Koizumi was handling the papers with Haruhi, Nagato was reading a book, though I'm sure she'd burn through all the work (not LITERALLY, though you have to be careful how you word things with her) if I only asked, and Asahina was preparing for everyone something to eat and drink.

I was on garbage duty. A chance to laugh again. Ah, but I volunteered, maybe because someone had to do it, and I was the host.

Oh, but I do have to say, I want to enjoy the late summer night. Of course the season is coming to a close, and before too long, the rains will kick in. Even the grunt work feels so much nicer. Things really are different now, aren't they? I feel a little bit better. I'm not entirely sure whats the proper way to grieve, but I know I'll miss my mother and father. If things are gonna change, well, I guess I'll let it be. This is the way life is.

I was trying to chuck the first bag of trash in the bin, up and over. There, that ones done.

A shuffling sound was growing. Hmm?

I turn my head.

Miss Asahina the big stared at me with a beaming smile. "Hello Kyon-kun."

"Hello." I was somewhat used to this. She always came every once in a while. It seemed that both her and Asahina would would take a break. Maybe go to her events and gatherings or what not in her own span of time. Whenever it takes place, whether its 20 or 2000 years from now, I bet it would have to be a glorious age with Asahina, big or little, in it.

"What is our meeting at this hour about?" Seriously, its like 11 o'clock.

She seemed anxious, "Well Kyon, its a warning like always. Remember this clue for now: when the next big event happens, please just let it happen."

"Hmm. Whats going too happen?"

She lifted her index to her lip, "Classified Information."

I get you. I know how important it is. Its the difference between your future and another one.

"Great. By the way, please take some time to talk to me a little more in this time. You've had normal conversations with everyone but me in this particular tale."

Heh, sorry. Got it. I'll see you around.

She waved goodbye and walked away into the street, and in a flash, the night took her.

I put the second bag of trash which I held the entire time into the bin. Hmm?

More shuffling from the bushes.

Hello?

And who else but a cat. Shamisen to be exact.

You lazy cat. Wait a sec, you're an indoor kitty, why are you out? Here, I'll take you inside. Have you even been fed since yesterday?

I look closer, and I find a much bigger surprise.

Huh?

Knocked out in the bush was one of the ESPER defense agents. Bruises were across his face.

He was dead.

A thunderous sound and sharp pain hit me.

And thats when everything became white, then black.

7-31-10

OK, I am going to apologize to you now for two things. First is my terrible habit of long footnotes explaining my choices, and second is the shift into a serious story, which in my own opinion was unnatural when I wrote it. I got rid of the exceptionally big note for this one, and here's some sentences for what they said.

I played with the way the characterization was and just did it to my liking.

I set some new rules which meant avoiding saying something with the same words.

I almost wanted to kill Nakagawa, but he can be used for future chaps, so I saved him.

More shoutouts, I got rid of them.


	6. Chp 5 Truth and Fear

**AMATERASU** Chp. 5: Truth and Fear

.

She had done it. Her plan worked.

She was alone with the riddle, the mystery, the enigma.

"KYON!" She loudly scolded him, "Keep on the lookout. No goofing off!"

"How can I goof off with you here?" He muttered. Hmmpf.

They were alone in the middle of a field, in the middle of Shikoku. Only a single week ago, it was struck along with a hundred others in Japan, amongst 1000 worldwide, by a mysterious wave of crop circles, even in places where nothing grew. This was amongst many hundreds of strange events now happening daily. Koizumi and Asahina were increasingly anxious. It was almost as if when she made her resolution, heaven and hell had open up and someone responded to a prayer.

She deemed that before things died down, that they would try to study the fields themselves up close. There, with their cameras, they would catch a glimpse of the unknown.

The teams split up and the pair of them went straight toward the largest one. It was a mysterious symbol, showing a solar system with no earth, torn into a rice paddy field.

She looked closely at Kyon. He was fidgety. That's not normal. Does he think its a bad idea to be paired with her?.

"Whats wrong?"

"Nothing, its just that, I tal...," Hesitation? "...never mind."

"What. Tell me!" She must know.

Anything she could learn meant something.

He refrained.

"Its nothing...nah it doesn't-"

SMACK

She backhanded him with her fist. His eyes shot wide. She was acting in a way he had never expected, not once in his life.

She herself had eyes like lamps, astonished, but awoke from her moment of surprise at herself to talk to him, to command him.

"You'll tell me...NOW!"

He was surprised by her quickness to violence. Slowly he responded.

"It was about the toothpicks. Koizumi was wondering why they changed color. That should have never happened." like a deus ex machina, she thought.

"Hmm. That was strange wasnt it?" She said, holding back her astonishment and elation

at what had happened. Suddenly a pang of guilt. She should not have hit him. It might have ruined her chance, her one opportunity.

The truth was starting to come her way.

.

They continued rounding the fields. Their presence together caught the attention of a number of passerby with interest. A young couple who wants to see the circles? Strange place for a date.

Things remained quiet, since Haruhi did not want to talk till she knew it was right, bugged by her own behaviour and what it might have done.

The hilltops were the best place anyone could go for a view of the whole place below. Endless green and yellow, a haven for fecundity, filled the scope of vision of the pair. Not that they cared, not one bit.

Well, maybe a little, explaining why they stared out. The sun was falling and the day was leaving with it. Night is just a stone's throw away.

As they sat down on the grass, she looked sideways with a glance. The boy beside her was blank. She memorized his outline. Though he was plain, his stoic nature was better than she thought before. _Kind of heroic_.

She ran through all the words in her vocabulary, created an approach, and scolded herself for her poor interaction earlier. She's not ruining her chance to communicate here.

_It's time_.

"Kyon?"

"Yeah?" A complacent tone, veiling his earlier worrying, covers his voice. His eyes were shut.

"Do you...know...anything strange? Any secrets? I could tell you one. I actually met a man once. He went by a strange name. He told me to go to the school we're in, North High. Thats why I didn't go to a better place."

His eyes started to stretch open, like slowly realizing something he didn't want to.

"How about... you tell me a secret?"

He started to appear solemn, a tad anxious.

She caught him.

"Nah, there's nothing interesting."

"Are you sure?..." She used a voice that was different from her normal ways. She was silent like a predator. A spy. A stalker.

A statue of crystal.

Kyon's lips opened, and words came that obviously were of poor choice, words chosen in a frenzy of disorganized cognition. "Well, I used to believe in everything you did. I too did believe in time travelers, aliens, esper psychics, and that Gundams would one day exist."

A reasonable output on unreasonable subject matter. Great.

"Idiot." Her eyes glared. This moron missed the context of her words entirely. It was a clue into something. Maybe he once thought like...

His face had steeled itself in annoyance. She bummed him out essentially.

A moment of silence. Then a second. Then a full minute, Each passing in ambiance. The suns rim touched the mountainside.

She started again.

"I wish that as a brigade we could be more honest with each other. Its not like we're just a military team. We're family Kyon."

"Well thats not good, that makes you like my sister." How sardonic.

"Hmmph!"

A moment of more tension sliced across them. She spoke again.

"Well, its not so bad. Maybe if I were your sister, I could rely on you sometimes."

"You don't think I contribute already? Are you trying to praise me?"

"Well you're not THAT stupid."

He chuckled to himself. She could bet right there he was having an inner monologue. Psycho.

_Keep going_, she told herself.

"Well...its not like you're that bad...you do work hard, at least as long as someone stands over you."

"..."

"Whats wrong?"

"Ah its nothing. Well, I just feel different right now, why I don't know. We've never talked before like this."

He looked calmer. _Good_.

"Well, then I believe its time to change that. We as a team, ah- family, must."

He tensed, and then calmed. He's not as markedly stubborn. Or...

She was pacing her words. She could bring his guard down. A voice inside told her that if she says it right, she would find exactly what she searched for.

"Kyon, whats your view on relationships?" She knew this might tense him up, but it would also distract him.

He was genuine in his words, or so it seemed.

"Well, we're a bit young. We could be starting out now, but I think that its more of a college thing."

Civil words, coated in diplomacy.

"Why not...just have one now?"

He thought for a moment. Had he rehearsed talking to her?

"Hmm. Haruhi, not that I'm not interested, I just don't feel like it.

Under her breath, "...Lazyass idiot."

Not a smart choice to say...but she couldn't stop herself, nor the blush caressing her.

He made that same dumb face. Another thought? _Bet its perverted or something_.

That window might have closed for now, but there was business. She thought to steer it in a more effective direction.

"How about just being friends?"

"Sure, why not?"

Ah. Hmm. _Maybe this..._

"You think we'll ever find those aliens?"

"Oh yeah."

"How about the time travelers?"

"Gotta be somewhere." Complacent.

"Sliders?"

"Bet there's one right nearby."

"Hey kyon, what do you usually do on Tanabata?"

...

Absolute, pure, complete silence.

His eyes had shot wide open. What is this?

He looked sick, as if he was in a great bind that pressed on his gut.

He jittered as he talked.

"Ah,...not much. I usually just played games. I once had an obsession with Maple Story-i think it started on a tanabata. Heh, heh...just being a lowlife, never did go out with family or friends, maybe once i'd go with Sasaki, or travel-"

He stopped there, in what seemed to be thoughtful panic.

She was coming close.

"Travel?" A suspicious face crept upon her.

"Yeah!"

"During a school year?"

"Well, sure!"

"Where?"

"Ah...places."

"What kind?"

"Boring ones, you wouldn't care."

And a tiny key hit a lock traveling across the universe.

"...At what time?"

...

Silence.

He was frozen, shocked, broken.

"uh...huh..." he looked to her, making eye contact, then turned away..

The cat got the dogs tongue, and curiousity was on her side.

"Well?" Her voice was colder. She glared.

He remained quiet, his determined face came back.

He's serious about something. Maybe...

_Ah, I get it._

_He's being silent to not be dishonest._

She would stop the charade now.

"Kyon, you're trying to stay quiet so you can't lie to me, right?"

He was quiet.

"Don't lie to me."

Her face twisted in fury. She looked away.

_No, Kyon. Don't you do this to me._

Her face darkened.

Anger, boiling rage, seething and about to pop, this volcano's gonna blow.

She glanced back.

"I haven't lied once-"

"You're lying now."

"I've not lied-"

"Yes you have-"

"-No I've NOT!"

"YOU'RE LYING NOW!"

Quiet.

Fright struck him. Nothing in this world was as terrifying as her in that instance. She embodied the essence of darkness, wicked, evil.

A devil incarnate.

She stood up and stared him down, and he was visibly shaking, his stoic defenses cut through like a blade of a wakizashi into him.

"No Haruhi, I have nothing to say-" POPFF "-AHH!"

Without warning, she pounced on him, bringing the taller boy to the ground. He was flat on his back. He attempted to grapple with her, but Haruhi's strength was monstrous, herculean, beastly, this girl was an abomination. She punched and attacked, yelling in the boy's face.

She was on target, she was close, the truth was in reach. She could reach an answer, she felt it.

And it drove her insane.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW! TELL ME! YOU KNOW HIM!"

"WHO-" "TELL ME NOW!"

"I KNOW NOTHING-" "TELL ME!"

"-AHH-" "-NOW-"

"-IM NOT-""-SAY IT-"

"-NO!" "KYONNNNN!"

"I-"

And the magic words came:

**"-JOHN SMITH! I AM JOHN SMITH!"**

.

Thunder struck.

The birds were singing.

The wind blew.

Her face was still, ice.

His face was blank, stone.

Another, quiet, serene moment passed.

She stared into his eyes. She stood up, still she stared. Even backing away, she was transfixed.

It finally hit her.

"You're...him."

He stood up. An expression signifying that a grave event occurred was splashed on his face.

His cell rang.

"Let me get this."

He lifted the device to his ear. The sound of alarm in a voice came through. It was Koizumi, she could hear.

Kyon's eyes darted around, to her and back. "I'll be there."

Without warning, he ran down the hill, not once looking back to her.

She didn't give chase.

She was too astonished.

That was why he was so familiar, that first fateful day.

That tone of voice.

That outline.

She knew now.

And Kyon ran to the others, to warn them that their worst fears were upon them.

Two things fell that moment. The sun, and the greatest secret of their lives.

Haruhi knew.

.

.

Darkness, absolute pitch black. Thats what i see.

I could sense a slight echo in my head. It got louder.

The sound turned into a throb. It felt like my skull had been bashed into with a pipe.

My hearing got better, and i could hear myself. I'm hyperventilating.

HUHH-HUHH-HUUH

It felt like I had been kicked inside out, my lungs seizing and stomach burning.

My muscles were moving and i could sense my arms. I motioned to reach my front. Huh?

Tension, a buckling, a chain?

%^&*.

Im handcuffed.

Good god.

"Hah."

I was in a room where I could not see the outline of a doorway, not a single lightleak.

Was I underground?

Slowly the situation's gravity started to crawl into my thoughts.

I'm kidnapped.

By who?

One thing to consider is what happens to a society when it is told that there is a god who lives in a body, and wants to rule the world...

They cry blasphemy.

Or is it heresy?

Well thats what the religious people would think.

The nationalists would be whining she is a foreigner.

The racists would bitch about her being of a lesser race.

The communists would say she is against the rights of the people.

The anarchists would scold the fact shes in charge at all.

And thats what would happen, and did. Over half a planets worth of people are angry that they are ruled over by a japanese girl who likes weird things.

Somewhere was surely a sexist pig who hated her just cause a woman was in charge.

Maybe...

But something else...

What else justifies this?

.

Time passes swiftly when the only means of keeping time is your own heart, and each beat is the same as the next.

Why the hell did this happen?

Hmm...

An idea...

Could this have had something to do with my parents death?

And how exactly did they know I was home?

They would need to have been observing me for a while.

BIMMMMMMMM

The sound of steel, clanking loudly. Is it?...

The door opens, light seeps in from an orange mercury lamp, and a tall man walks in.

His face is completely new to me. Rough, but not scarred.

"Morning, shithead." His voice was forward.

My heart started racing, and my eyes were wide. I breathed faster.

I was in a state of terror, I've not felt like this since...

"You feel that ache in your stomach?"

"Yeah. A little."

And his left foot slammed directly into my gut.

"Good, now it hurts a lot right?"

I could say nothing. I could only writhe.

"Ahh...hhuh...hhuh...hhuh." I felt like passing out, but that would probably justify a greater beating.

He seemed most happy now that i was in the state he wanted me to be in.

"Alright. Let me explain some details. I'm nobody, I ain't telling you my name, and I don't have a just and righteous cause. I'm here for something purely for the act of attaining good fortune."

"A mercenary?"

He smirked, "you could say that."

"Do you want money?"

He laughed, and quieted, "a good call, but money ain't everything. You see..."

His eyes turned away.

"I want power."

Power? As in political power?

He turned back, annoyed.

"No you idiot, I want POWER! You know, spiritual power, the kind I could be worshipped like a living god with!"

That means...

"You want to be like Haruhi...?" I asked, but with a tone of knowing rather than questioning.

"Bingo, fool. Seriously, you're so #*$()!& stupid. Why the bitch took a shine to you when there's over 3 billion guys to choose, she must have bad taste."

This guy...where the hell does he get off...?

"You really think she'd give away her power?"

"No, I think she'd use it to pay for your life. That's the common plan, you are a hostage, no different than anybody else's..." this guy is a wackjob, and not too original.

"And don't think it won't work. I'm not alone, I've got followers."

Out of the corner of my eye, a second man was present in the doorway.

Were there really more?

"That Nakagawa fool recruited us over 6 months ago. We are espers but we don't hold any loyalty to the Goddess. This is for someone who would not waste the power. The pair of us killed the third one assigned with us to watch the house. No doubt they are searching for us as I speak."

This guy was serious.

"Anyway, I'm making a phone call, gotta make the ransom demand."

He walked away and into the doorway. It closed.

It was dark again.

What have I got myself into?

Wait.

This was out of my control in the first place.

.

Nakagawa, not in his standard jovial mood, held in his hand a recording. It was a flashdrive that contained the contents of the call that had been made to the local emergency services dispatch.

As it was plugged in and run, the people in the room listened to it.

"Emergency services, how can we help you?"

"Yes I have to report a kidnapping."

"Can you tell me your name and the one of your missing person?

"No, I will not tell you my own name, but I will tell you this: the person who has been abducted is very famous. In fact, his importance is like the great Suzumiya-san, worldmoving. You know him as Kyon, the great and holy consort."

The dispatcher was tightlipped. That seemed like a tough statement to believe.

"Are you sure it's Kyon?"

"Yes. I AM the one who knocked him out myself. And I have a request that this call be recorded and given to the Interior Ministry ESPER defense force. It goes..."

They all listened closer.

"I am a humble man, who knew he was destined for greatness. Not that I have achieved so much, but what I will achieve soon. I will cloth the naked, feed the hungry, heal the sick, far better than the false goddess Haruhi Suzumiya, a trickster wench."

Indignance danced on their silhouettes.

"That is why...I demand that the power she holds be given to me. For that, I will spare his life."

They were silent.

"No calls have to be made, I will make all the necessary arrangements. She alone must come to the address I name and be willing to give her power freely. I wouldn't be surprised if you, Haruhi Suzumiya are listening, and that you are quite upset."

She stood, and was still silent.

"OH! Don't worry!"

She walked forward, her hand clenched around her chair.

"You'll get your toy back! I'm sure you'll be happy enough with him satiating your animal urges like a robot, you whor-"

"-"

CCCRRRRAAAASSSSSSHHHHH

Sparks flew, and the device was silent.

Her chair had cracked the machine in two.

They were speechless.

Haruhi, who had slammed her chair into the computer, was purely livid. Her breath seized.

From the side, Koizumi instructed an aide to clean the mess. Nakagawa mumbled..."My PC..."

She dropped the chair, and her legs collapsed under her.

As she fell to her knees, she remained furious.

This goddess had remained mostly calm these days, only to have this happen.

"We...are not going...to surrender...to that worm."

And bring about her most violent temper.

Asahina, who had watched this unfold, was shocked and in near catatonia. Haruhi's power had weakened, but she could still be a threat.

She remembered what happened before.

Before those images could flash in her mind, she chilled them in a flurry of headshaking.

.

Koizumi stood at his desk. It was a long mahogany crinkle-cut, akin to having been made in an older time, long before the age of industry reshaped all things fine into cheap trash.

His office here was a simple one of all-wood surfaces, fit for a politician. This was not his only office, not the nicest, or the largest, but it was the most meaningful.

It was closest to home.

On it were photos of many friends, some long gone, some dead, some brand new. At the center was the photo of the SOS brigade, taken before the fateful day when she found things out.

Happier times, better days.

A brisk and light tapping echoed through the hall.

It loudened.

She was here.

CLICK

The large wooden door opened to reveal a short girl, who never seemed to aged, and whose power was above all but the goddesses themselves, the highest of the angels of the IDE.

Yuki Nagato.

She was clad in was appeared to be a uniform for stealth operations. This plan was not to be carried out until late tonight.

"You didn't have to prepare yet."

"It was best to anyway."

She was looking straight at him. She held a weight in her eyes, unceasing passion.

Itsuki chuckled to himself. He could sense after all the years with her what Kyon did. She was determined.

This was the Nagato who cared, who had a cause.

Not to observe, but to act.

This abductor managed the impossible: he made ice burn. He lit Nagato's fury.

"I see. Follow me."

He stepped to the side and she glided closely, and they moved through a side door.

Out a second hallway, they walked together in a minimalist rhythym, soundless except for their shoes clanking and clapping against the marble floor of the corridor.

Through a bridge that linked buildings, they entered what turned out to look like...

Screens of the world.

People with microphone headsets.

Data of everything that's happening on the planet.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen...

This is a war room.

They were to meet someone important to the task at hand.

The pair walked to the center. No sign of...

A running hung distant.

Louder.

They turned.

"HELLO!"

She made it.

"WE'LL DO MEGASSA WELL! JUST TELL ME THE PLAN!"

.

7-31-10: There were two large chucks of text I removed that said basically that I had trouble with the OC in this, and that I'm having trouble making good enough ideas. There was a list of my ideas and a few more shoutouts. I leave the vocab.

Vocab:

Heresy means to corrupt a religion (making up your own religious ideas and putting in in another).

Blasphemy is to insult it.(Say anything bad about any religion, thats it.)

And just to throw it in, Apostasy is to leave it.(plain and simple.)

Wakizashi: Short sword


	7. Chp 6 Stepping Into the Fray

**AMATERASU** Chapter 6: Stepping into the Fray

.

Sometimes you have to wonder, is there something about the power? That it seems to have been gifted to the wrong people? Imagine if it were in the hands of the right ones.

That is if there are any.

.

"_Catch the bullet."_

.

Tsuruya had managed to not so subtly come in and make a fuss, just as she always and usually tends to. She decided that it was best to do the one thing typical of her: start making noise.

She bellowed out commands.

"I WANT A STATUS REPORT, NOW!"

An aide started to rush around and pick up papers on a table, carrying it in a folder to the young lady with green hair. She read through it and noticed something a bit too obvious.

"So of all the things to deal with, its disgruntled espers."

"Yes."

Itsuki and Yuki were at this point wary of asking her for her help, but considering that this is someone with a great deal of connections and power, she was as good as Haruhi in achieving whatever she intended to do, and did it with a smile.

"Where's Mikuru?"

"She said earlier she would go to retrieve some data. She'll be back soon."

She continued reading the documents, and her nose wrinkled itself once.

"Ah!" she almost screamed, "We knew about these people before. They were all people found to have developed esper power and were evaluated for entry into the EDF."

"Right," Itsuki was quiet and lullardly, "We had thought that due to the explosion of individuals with various known abilities related to percieving and manipulating data, what we would have are a few that would have chosen to use it for worse deeds. So we managed to profile a large number of them, and we believe we're on a good lead to who is the perpretrators of this incident."

Tsuruya just stared at the paper. Did she get what it said?

"Hmm...they are somewhere near the city of Kobe proper. Have you checked the local port for any suspicious activity?"

"We believe that there is nothing there, and that it may be somewhere else. This is because of something we noticed." He brought out a paper, covered in data. "This revealed that the internet connection used to bring us the video from earlier was in fact not connected to a landbased network. It was from a satellite internet feed. We tried to find out who it was from an IP search, but that only brought up a series of proxies which we have to search through. We did find the credit card used, which turned out to be a prepaid one. After tracking that one, we found it was sold at a supermarket somewhere in Osaka. We sent an agent and located something interesting."

He pulled up from behind his back a photo.

"Here is the face of who we believe it was that we're looking for."

She saw the face.

She then left for the field.

.

The room was dark. The guard had not come back in a while. He could not tell what time it was now.

Kyon was dazed and confused.

He lay there in a mild throbbing state of ache. His slow awareness crept back into him and he started to figure out something.

These people think she has the power to crush them. Did they get that she has almost lost it all? Or...

Maybe they see it as a chance to get the last of it.

.

Mikuru Asahina, alone in the lobby of the office of the ESPER Defense Force, had some papers in her hand. They were a datasheet of some results sent to her from her superiors down in the lower end of time.

They contained an important thing to note, that may affect time.

She picked up her pace.

.

She made it into the primary command center of the structure. And who else was there but Itsuki Koizumi. His ears heard reports. They knew now where he was, and they were about to move in soon.

She wordlessly hands him a single slip of paper. He reads it carefully.

He motions the aide to take the paper.

"Get this to Tsuruya."

.

Haruhi looked out over the city, wondering just where he was.

She heard a thought, like many times before, whisper into the edges of her conciousness.

_If you want him enough now, you will already know where he is._

A mystic and mysterious notion to have. She'll entertain it.

She starts to focus the minds eye. Her sense starts to see further beyond.

She hears birds. She hears words, she hears people walk, she hears them talk.

Then she picks up a sound.

..._hhhh...hhhh...hhhh_

A heaving.

.

The room is still, the air unmoving and the ground unshifting. A place to think and wonder.

_Will I make it?_

…_fffffffff...fffffffffff...fffffffff..._

He starts to hear a sound, like that of breathing and wonders if it is that with a supernatural fist. He can hear her breathe.

She is looking for him, and he knows it now.

.

The agents fan out through the city. They are gathered in their vehicles and wondering when they will make their move.

Nakagawa, who has little left of the essence of an esper, surrounded by those with their souls blazing in a fire, condensed in the passion of duty, felt somewhat lonely.

"I wonder how our goddess is now?"

Mori, the woman of a few years more of age, and who knew her best, replied, "She will be fine, things like this are not the kind of thing that would break her down."

A radio feed comes in from the van, "Anyone in?"

Nakagawa answers, "We are at standby, whats going on?"

"The Supreme Minister has received some intel, and wants you to forward it to the agent in charge."

"Tsuruya?"

"Yes, it's a warning. We'll send it over a digital feed."

As the radio stopped, the system started to collect the data sent.

When it was ready, all documents printed perfectly, including the few simple words laid down.

Their leader came a short time later. She glossed it over and took the end message to heart.

.

Nagato, with her weapons at the ready, had heard from the agents of a spot that seems suspicious. The police force had noticed a larger level of activity in the industrial sector right now.

The short-haired woman knew to look behind that, to the routes they took through the city.

And she knew that it was just outside it.

She was notified by her partner, who had just received Mikuru Asahina's report. The message was short and to the point.

"Its a small area, with a few factories and a few housing projects."

"Good."

The were ready.

"And one last thing, Yuki, we got that last part to remember."

Yuki now knew she had one chance. "I will do what it takes. We must go."

Tsuruya smiled, and took the first step.

They walked, moving into a brisk gait.

Then they started to run.

.

They move quietly, guns at the ready, about to make their move.

A report of gunfire comes through.

The enemy has fired first.

"Its time!"

.

Kyon was underground, but he could hear the bolts of sound, starting to come through the doorway. It was a blinding darkness, but the silence was no longer deafening. The fire was coming, progressively louder and louder.

Maybe he'll be safe.

.

They gather their team to hold back the agents of the EDF from their main gate. They manage to gun down 6 men already who had attempted to infiltrate their compound.

Guns continued to blaze. They were well armed, more so than was expected by the organization, those who had it surrounded.

"Shoot over there!"

A single sniper watched over them. Their enemy would not make it in they hoped.

They held the line well, keeping the ESPER Defense Force under shelter. It was always a good thing to be well-armed for occasions like this.

Then a flittering of periwinkle hair sneaks by, and they lose the battle with their lives. Following her, another of hunter green marched silently ahead.

That sniper was not fast enough for her.

.

"What?" The stern man says, his rifle at ready, "They got through? What do you mean it was some bitch?"

He listens close, the message on the other end angering him, "O.K., gather all remaining men and hold the line!"

The answer comes through on the other end, but only halfway. The signal stops.

It was cut off abruptly.

"Damn it. Goddamn it all to hell."

He leans his back to the wall. He can hear the screaming of his men. Its getting quieter.

Then he wonders if its true that theres an afterlife at all.

His feet move to take him to the prisoner.

.

She is moving as fast as human flesh can move. But she is more than human. She was made to affect the world, and affect it she will.

The message says to.

.

I can hear something. It sounds like they're here. Thank god. Ahh. Heh.

The door unlocks. And I see that man again. What now?

"The Esper Defense Force has arrived, and now they have made it through the barriers we put up. I'm going to make this easier now and just off you."

…Oh no.

His rifle is slowly raised toward me, "If I see you on the other side, then I'll apologize. If I'm in hell, I hope you're there too."

The shot fired.

.

It was caught, in mid air.

.

.

Ive been feeling somewhat artsy-fartsy lately. What with the crack Super, MCK and I have been making, it seems that I have split in two creatively. One end seeks to ask the deeper questions, and the other demands more explosions. I felt a series of vignettes and short prose made this chapter more of a representation of what I wanted to achieve.

I also did some more minor adjustments to the past 6 posts. Now it may slightly seem more readable to you. It sure as hell seems like an improvement. I wanted to remove some of what may have seemed as Self-Insertion, and bring the characterization back towards the canon. As im writing now within the constraints of the earlier chapters, I am going to work further on rewriting them to increase their quality, lengthen scenes and pace, change vocabulary and matching them to the newer work.

I finally finished **Gurren Lagann** and **Irresponsible Captain Tylor**. Both great, both recommended. I may try to finish **Higurashi S2** or start **Baccano!** or **Kino's Journey** in the meantime.


	8. Chp 7 For us, things will shift

**AMATERASU** Chap. 7: For us, things will shift

.

The hand stayed in the air, with the shot within it stopped.

Nagato turned to the villain, the one who cause all this madness.

His eyes, glaring, with a hint of fear and a torrent of rage, stood still.

Kyon watched from the far end of the room.

.

"NAGATO!" He screamed to her. The young man wished he could be free and help her.

"Kyon, I will stop him."

"Well, I see that the ambassador is doing the job here."

"A job worth doing."

"Hmm, I guess that i'd feel the same if it was someone important to me too. I do know that you are supposed to be a real fighter, like nothing of this world. OK, I bet you're itching to throw something at me. Go ahead."

Nagato took the cue of the antagonist.

A foot threw her forward and she lunged at him. The villain caught this with a single blade. Nagato took out her own blade from nothingness and charged again.

The esper countered this with an unusual weapon.

He dropped a lone grenade and let it go.

Its effect was most curious: The light in the room bent, the sounds became long drones and the air grew frothy. It was a spacetime weapon.

"I recieved this from unusual people who knew how to build such things. The data manipulation of the average esper is minimal, but with this, I have the ability to affect things just the way I want to."

Nagato stood still. She was not going to let this man get the best of her.

"I would suggest that you stop this now. Even if you were to kill me, there are many more agents out there who can kill you with a single shot. All your men are dead or captured, you are alone."

The man, who was esper and antagonist, knew his response for this, " I was prepared for this gamble. I see that I did bet against the house and failed. I'll let it go gracefully," His black hair fluttered as he ran with a surprising speed toward her, "And it was rigged anyway."

His blade caught her arm. Sinew was ripped and the stuff of life flowed red down to the floor.

Nagato bled, and she was surprised.

"The reason I am able to do this is that I have made it impossible to do direct data manipulation in this place. A good rulebreaker for a rigged game wouldn't you agree?"

Nagato started to panic. She was not getting a good signal from her superiors. She was not able to recieve their aid in any way. She was losing.

Kyon was enraged. If only he could attack, he would bring that bastard down.

He walked forward, throwing his fist into her face. She continued to stumble. A kick to the legs and a punch in the stomach and she remained standing.

The esper, tall as he was, felt to walk up further to her. He knelt down and asked to her, "You don't feel well do you? Your stomach is queasy and your head is starting to ache. The cut is not healing and you're in a state of Daze and Confusion. You know how you feel?"

She looked up to his level eyes, "What?"

"Like one of us." He slapped his blade across her face. Receiving the flatness of a knife was not as harmful as the sharpness, but it was enough to knock her out.

As she laid upon the floor, the esper sought to give her a word, "It's a pity that life has to end for you. It may end for me soon, but at least I made an impact."

A soft sound echoed.

Hmm?

A woman came from the shadows.

"Hiya, you know, that's not good to do such things. We agents get very very angry when someone betrays us. Now I have to say this: Put that blade down and stop. Put your hands up and you will not get hurt."

Our villain was incredulous with her, "Huh? What? You want me to stop? You think you can stop me? You think I care? Hmm, OK, how about this?" He withdrew a gun and aimed squarely for her.

...And was surprised when she wasn't there.

"HELLO!" "WHAT?" And a crashing sound came down upon him as she used the steel beams above her to catch him off guard.

"Ahhh! What the-? You bitch!" He groaned under the weight of the woman.

"Who are you calling a bitch? I'm a very well liked lady thank you very much!"

She proceeded to attempt a cuffing. That was when she was caught with a fist to the face.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH"

"Serves you right, you bitch." He had spun himself under her and crushed her head to the floor.

He spotted for his gun. It had ended up...In Nagato's good hand.

"Give up."

He walked forward silent toward her, towering.

"Give up."

He was now over her completely with rage and his combat knife. "I won't. Goodbye."

"OK. You win."

4 shots, one for each arm and leg, for the elbows and the knees, came in one instance. He came crashing down.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH."

He fell over.

Nagato slowly got up. She walked over to the greenhaired girl who had lost control of him and checked to see if she was awake.

She was barely in.

The man continued to screech, "You bitch!" Nagato ignored him as she went to free Kyon from his bindings.

Kyon was relieved to feel the numbness disappate from the ropes behind him as she cut them.

"Thank you Nagato. I appreciate it so mu-"

"You don't have to say it, I know it's what you fe-."

"Hey, you idiot, I won't stand for this!"

They turned to find of all people...Haruhi?

She was kicking the bleeding enemy with a steeltoe boot. She screamed obscenities about harming friends, embarrassing and insulting her, and wasting her time.

"You freaking-, you are-, I am going to-, " She quiets, then... "AAAAHHHHH!" "OWWW!" She crushed his hand under her foot.

"Heh." Kyon could only laugh at it.

He then noticed Yuki tumble, "HUH?"

She looked quite weakened. The data manipulation device had an odd effect on her. She was still bleeding. Kyon stepped forward and a thrum filled his head. He was more injured than he realized.

Haruhi noticed when they started to come down. Mori and Nakagawa made their entrance. They saw the knocked out Tsuruya and the injured Yuki and Kyon and took them up.

.

I was forced to lay here in this bed even though I knew I felt well enough to leave. Of course, they wanted to make sure. I took quite a head injury from the brutality of that man. Of course, It's something I'm used to.

I wonder, is Nagato and Tsuruya OK?

"They'll be fine. Haruhi is there, a few rooms down."

That was the voice of my sister. She looked like she could tear up any minute.

"I thought I was gonna lose you. It just makes me feel, it-..."

She started to cry softly and hugged me close. "I don't want to lose you."

Don't worry, don't. I am here now, big brother is safe.

She continued to hold me tightly and whimper. I held her closely.

"Ahem."

I looked and saw the man of the system, the man in the high tower, the one in the role of keeping the ship running.

"Hello, Kyonkun."

"Koizumi."

Imouto retracted herself from me and took a cue to leave. She knew that Koizumi had important business."

"So, here is what happened."

OK.

"The man known as Damon Kuramaki was a member of the ESPER defense force. He came in the beginning of the Holy Monarchy's foundation and showed excellent skill and great promise. Of course, in his endeavours he did show signs of instability. Six some odd months ago, he killed a fellow agent and left with two other men. The things we noticed going on in the ether of the world made it seem like he was planning something.

"He continued to gather resources, getting investment in a number of circles, and built a cult around himself. Quite productive of him. We still believe that there is more of his faction out there somewhere, according to the records we had recovered of his.

The interesting thing is that "data manipulation bomb." We can't figure out where someone like him can get a weapon of that sophistication, though we do have our theories. We do intend to interrogate him sometime in the future, but for now, we are just going to try and see what happens next. That's all for now."

I wonder, Koizumi, what does this have to do with what's been happening?

"Isn't it obvious? The data manipulation technology is partially what may have been weakening Suzumiya's power. It's also likely that to draw you here was part of a plan. They wanted to bring you here and get as close as possible to using a power drain on Suzumiya. This involved the mysterious incident with the semi."

What?...You mean...

"Yes Kyon, they had your parents killed to bring you here. It was all a setup."

I hung my head. It was of such vast seething that if I didn't rush out of my bed right there and try and find this man to kill him, I would do it soon enough.

"Kyon, calm yourself. I know exactly how yo-"

"NO YOU DON'T, YOU DO NOT KNOW THE ANGER I HAVE."

He was silent. He stared into my eyes.

"Yes I do."

Something in those three words made me suddenly stop. It was as if someone had reached into my heart and crushed the burning rage in a torrent of rain.

"I know EXACTLY how you feel."

A moment of absolute peace befell us. It was calming, like he did something with his words to reach within me and stop the pain for an instant.

A sound came from the hallway...a continuous stomping. Haruhi?

Yes.

She came walking in, she beamed brightly, "Kyon, you're well! And it seems that you'll recover soon! Can you get up?"

"If I can remove the saline bag."

She uncoupled the medical implements and drug me out of the bed. Hey hey, I was beaten!

We double-timed it to the room down the hall. There, Tsuruya and Yuki both laid in their respective hospital beds. Yuki was silently sleeping and Tsuruya and Asahina were keeping quiet.

Which was a failure when Tsuruya saw me.

"Kyon! You feeling well?" She got out of her bed and came at me, jumping into my arms and causing me to fall on my ass. Ow.

"It's so good to see you. I heard of all that's happened and I'm so sorry. I'm also wondering how things were going on the school end?"

They...going...good...Tsuruya.

Tsuruya immediately got out of my lap and rushed behind to bring me to my feet. "Thank you again."

"No problem. I just had to come in and do the right thing. Of course, It's not just me you have to thank, you also gots to give credit where it is due. Right Mikuru?"

Mikuru answered with a sense of relief, "I recieved an important bit of information and I made sure that it got to the right people in time. It was duty, but it was also for friendship." She beamed with the brightness of a thousand stars.

"I appreciate it Asahina," I returned my smile to her.

I glanced to the other bed and saw, Yuki was vaguely awake.

She still had that expression of misunderstanding the situation, like she was in a fog and searching for the lighthouse on the shore, not knowing that the lighthouse was dark.

She did however, open her eyes wider for me when I made eye contact.

"Nagato. I have to say, thank you, for everything you've done."

"I see. Good."

It made me want to smile that she was OK, but wait, "What about the DMC? What effect is it having on you?"

"I have some signal coming from the Integrated Data Thought Entity. They are happy that I am alive. I will be well soon, as the Charge takes some time before it disappates."

"Alright. Great."

I turned to Haruhi, who was staring at me from behind. "Well Haruhi, it seems that things are good again."

"Not quite. We had a mere rehashing of all the same emotions again hit us all, and for that, a penalty is required!"

"What? Well what do you have lined up?"

"You are forbidden from making anyone worry again."

HAHAHA, "Fine with me."

Things were good again.

.

The rest of the evening turned joyous, and everyone felt at ease again. Eventually, like all good things, it slowed down. Everyone was tired and went to bed. Haruhi, despite her status, chose to sleep on a couch in the room here. She was so cute as she slept peacefully.

As I sat in my bed alone, while the rest of the night flew by, I pondered all the things that had happened. I have to say, it seems like my life is a complete action story. Hmm...

I saw the moon passing by slowly. The guards were in the street below and the security was beefed up. They were afraid that since the remnants of the renegade faction were still on the loose, they might try and make a revenge stand, not to mention that there is plenty of people who might see this as an opportunity to do some damage.

I tried my best to fall asleep. I would leave in the morning and go to the memorial set up for mom and dad. All these things that happened, they were going to come to an end, finally.

And a knocking came from the door.

Hello?

The exit slowly opened widely, revealing the silhouette of someone unmistakeable...

"Hey...Kyouko?"

It was Kyouko, the esper renegade of her own faction, dressed as a nurse. For her to have snuck in, she really was crafty.

"Yes Kyon, it's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"I have some important things to say to you, it's about the events that have taken place."

What? What do you mean? You...are you guys responsible?

"No no, we didn't have anything to do with this, we wanted to tell you. We did notice this was happening in the underworld for a while and were paying attention to it."

"Why didn't you warn us?"

"Cause we ourselves were not sure of their intentions. Anyway, we noticed the recent moving of resources and saw that they had gathered all sorts of mercenaries and such. We would have warned you the moment they had moved."

"Do you know why Sasaki decided to show up when she did?"

"Ah, yes, that was to put everyone on guard. We felt that it was in the best interest of your group if you were tense and alert. I would have doubted that your reactions would have been appropriate to the situation if we hadn't given you the idea that something was wrong. It was I who masterminded that little thing."

This made him wonder for a second, about that dream he had before. The flowers. What was that about? Hmm...nevermind. Anyway...

"I see. Hey, I have something to ask."

"Go on."

"What do you know of the Data Manipulation Charge and how did it end up in the hands of that renegade?"

"That was the most mysterious thing to have happened, and it has us baffled. We will continue to investigate just as your group does and see what we find. For now, you can take it easy Kyon. Farewell for now."

"Ah, well, OK then. Bye."

She quietly shut the door behind her and her footsteps dissipated into the night. I was left with only the street below and the sound of Haruhi breathing. Hmm...

I was bored and unable to sleep, so I snuck out of the bed and tiptoed up to Haruhi on her couch. Her skin was velvet but her color was like porcelain china. A dose of temptation hit me.

I moved closely in to steal a kiss from her and bid her a good night. I want to see what tomorrow has in store for me.

.

This is the end of a first arc. I am going to work next on a one-shot chap soon and then the last arch will kick in. I also am working on a standalone fic that's meant to be its third arc, and decided that for the project as a whole, I will call it **"The Magnificence of Haruhi Suzumiya." **Lastly, I'm also going to start the plans for the prequel to this.

I apologize for not getting this done sooner, I had gotten into quite a few good shows recently. I watched **Fate/Stay Night, Kino's Journey, Galaxy Express 999, Bakemonogatari, GTO, Kara No Kyoukai and Azumanga Daioh**, and my old childhood first foray into anime **Dominion: Tank Police**. Not that I didn't watch some crap, as in **Angel Cop**, which was worth it for the fact it was so bad it was funny. And I decided to give **Naruto Shippuuden** a chance. It actually seems somewhat decent. I'll get more into it after i finish AD and GTO.

Reviews are appreciated, and I pay attention when you favorite or story alert this.


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